Los Angeles Dodgers preaching no lead is safe in September

Los Angeles Dodgers' Dee Gordon (9) and Yasiel Puig (66) celebrate after both scored runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

For all the crazy comebacks and the unbelievable meltdowns, baseball always gets interesting when the calendar turns to September.

The Dodgers own a five-game lead in the National League West, but when the Dodgers begin the final home stretch — starting with a homestand against Washington on Monday, the first day of September — they’re preaching that no lead is safe until they’ve clinched the division title.

Or they’re splashing around in a pool. Whichever comes first.

Asked how many games would equal a safe lead in September, Clayton Kershaw said: “When we clinch. There’s really no comfortable lead, especially when we still have to play the Giants six more times.”

The Giants are the Dodgers’ lone competition in the NL West. The Dodgers also have six games against NL West cellar dweller Colorado and four games against the hapless Chicago Cubs.

Carl Crawford knows from personal experience that players shouldn’t get too comfortable with September leads. Even a nine-game lead. He was on the 2011 Boston Red Sox team that had a nine-game lead in the AL wild-card race in September and squandered it in such ugly fashion that Boston missed the playoffs.

“No lead is ever safe,” Crawford said of his time with the Red Sox. “We were the best team in baseball all year. I can’t really say what happened, but we didn’t get it done. Going through that time shows you that you can never think a lead is safe.”

Infielder Justin Turner, who has played for the Mets and Orioles before the Dodgers, has never been part of a September that ended with October baseball.

“It’s a different feeling in September,” Turner said. “Having something to play for changes in September. There’s a lot more matchups with rosters expanding. There’s a lot more managing with longer rosters and younger players.

“The younger guys are coming up for the first time, and they don’t know any better. They bring a good energy.”

The Dodgers have good energy ever since taking over the lead in the NL West — during a sweep of the Giants — on July 26. The Dodgers haven’t lost the division lead since that day.

Earlier in the season, the Dodgers trailed by 9 1/2 games in the division. That was June 8. Nearly three months later, the Dodgers are playing well from ahead. The magic number to clinch the division is 25, with 28 games left in the season.

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“It’s safe when you clinch,” manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s the only time you can feel good. There’s too many things, historically, that can happen. We’ll get ready to play every day, play good baseball and not worry about anybody else and take care of our business.”

Last year, the Dodgers celebrated in the Diamondbacks’ pool when they clinched the NL West. They’ve already played their last game at Chase Field. The Dodgers’ final six games are all at home, meaning Dodger Stadium could host the party this season.